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On The Grounds Of Brooklyn

As Jessie walked down the piers in Brooklyn, all of the Brooklyn Newsies glared at her, wondering who she was.
She was so nervous she was sure everyone could hear her teeth chattering.

Blink had tried to come with her to make her feel better, but she wouldn't let him. She had to talk to Spot about this alone.

But now that she thought about it, maybe she should have let Blink come with her.
Spot tended to have a REALLY awful temper, and just in case if he got out of control when he heard Jessie's crazy request, she had wished for a split second that she had brought Blink with her. But it was to late now. She was on her own.

She put her chin high in the hair and walked towards one of Spot's newsies.
"Hey. Can you point me out to where Spot Conlon is?"

One of the guys named splinter had told her, she could find him at the lodging house. He said that Spot had his own room, so she'd need to knock three times on the door for Spot to let her in.

Jessie followed the directions Splinter had given her, and went to the Lodging House, went up the stairs, went down the hall way, and took a left at the end of the hall.

She stood there for a minute trying to catch her breath and to calm down for a minute.

Finally, she got brave enough to knock on the door.
After she knocked three times, she heard someone yell from inside.
"What da ya want?"
"Uhh...Spot? It's Jessie, Manhattan."
I waited a minute, and then finally heard him get up and walk towards the door.

A minute later, the door opened and there stood Spot looking half a sleep. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but it was in his hands, and he was getting ready to put it on.

"What da ya want kid?"
"Umm...am I disturbing you?"
"Naw. I's was just sleepin', but I'se had ta wake up anyway."
They both stood there quietly, neither one saying anything.

Jessie looked around, not really wanting to say what she had to tell him outside where other people could hear her.

Finally, he got the message, and he opened the door wider, and then he gestured for her to come in with his hands.

After he closed the door, he came over and sat down on his bed. She stood in front of him.

"Ya wanna sit down?"
"Umm...no thanks."
A few minutes went by and she still hadn't said anything.
"Hey, listen kid, just spit it out kay? Cause I'se ain't got all day."

Finally, after thinking it over for a second later, instead of saying something, she reached up and took off her hat, letting her hair fall down to the middle of her spine.

For a minute, Spot had a confused look on his face, but then when she took of her hat, it was more of shock.

"Oh my gosh! Your a girl!"
"Umm...yeah."
"Why have ya been actin' like a guy all dis time?"
"Because if I didn't, then I couldn't have sold newspapers."
"Why? Where are ya parents?"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "I ran away. They were trying to force me to marry this guy, and I don't want to. Since the day I turned 16, they have been forcing suitors on me, trying to get me to find a future husband. My father thinks he's a real nice guy, but he's not even close. He makes the Delancey's look like the nicest people in New York." Jessie could see that he was losing interest so she got onto the point.

"Anyway, I wasn't going to get stuck marrying that guy, so I ran away."

"Does any of this have anything to do with why you came here to see me?" Spot asked, obviously annoyed.

"Yes....Spot, I know this is going to sound really bad for me to ask you....how do I put this?" She asked herself out loud.

"Listen Spot, I know that you have a lot of different girlfriends, and that you have never liked me in that way before," Spot was smirking now. He thought she wanted to go out with him. Boy, if he only knew half of what she was going to tell him.

"But...you see, in order for me to get out of marry William, I need to marry someone else. So I have been trying to find one of my close friends to help me out so we could get married. But they all said no, so I came to you...not that your my last hope, and that your not a close friend, I just really know that you'd never want to marry me, so now I had no choice and so...."

"HOLD ON! STOP TAKING FOR JUST A MINUTE, WILL YA?" He yelled, standing up now.

Jessie quickly shut up.

"Ya mean ya tellin' me dat, ya want me ta say I'll marry ya, just so dat ya can get outta marryin' ya fiancee?"

Jessie only nodded gently.

"Yeah right! I'se have so much going fer me, why should I'se give dat all up for ya?"

She sighed, and then said quietly. "To tell you the truth Spot, I know I am asking way to much for a person to ask. There is absolutely no reason, that I can think of, why you should want to marry me. But all I am need is just a close friend to marry for a while. No longer then a year. Then we could get a divorce." Jessie paused here. She hated lying to him. "And it isn't like you won't be getting nothing out of it. My mother agreed to give 50 dollars to the man I marry."

Spot laughed angrily. "Oh boy, dat really just adds the icin' ta da cake! YA WANT ME TA MARRY YA FER MONEY!" He was way over just angry now.

"Will you quit yelling?" Jessie scream at him. "Can't you talk calmly.

Spot started to pace around the room. Finally in got right up close next to her, so close he was almost pinning her against the wall. Then he started to talk gently.

"This is really unfair of ya ta ask of me, ya know dat right?"

Jessie nodded slowly, feeling lot's of quilt.

"I'se never was plannin' on settlin' down. Not soon at least. But if I'se ever did, it was goin' ta be 'cause I'se was really and truly in love in love wid dat goil. I'se wanted ta give me wife a wedding night so full of love, romance, and passion, that she'd always had dream of having with her husband...."

They were both quite for a few minutes.

"I'se would never agree ta somet'ing' like dis...."

Jessie nodded, and pushed him away from her. "I doubted that you ever would. I understand. I'll see you around Conlon." She said walking towards the door.

Spot grabbed her arm gently. "Ya didn't let me finish." He said pulling her back to him. "I'se would never agree ta some time' like dis, but dere's somet'ing special 'bout ya. Ya seem like a sweet kid, and meanin' how ya said we can get a divorce in a year, it isn't totally bad...." He paused. "So, all these things in mind....I'll marry ya."

Jessie couldn't believe her ears, she was in shock. "Excuse me?"

Spot said it again softly. "I'll marry ya."

Jessie smiled and threw her arms around Spot's neck. "Ohhhh! Thank you, thank you, thank you Spot!!!" Then she pulled away a little to look at him. She was so happy, she pulled him to her quickly and kissed him.

After she realized what she was doing, she quickly pulled away and gasped. "I'm sorry!" She whispered.

Spot smiled gently, and pushed a lose piece of Jessie's hair out of her face, then he held her chin in his hand.
"Ya didn't heah me complainin', now did ya?" He grinned.

When he smiled, there was a certain sparkle in his eyes, that made Jessie's heart feel like it was melting. This was a strange feeling, that she had never felt before. What could it be?

With his hand on her chin, Spot gently pulled her lips towards his, and then lightly brushed up against them with his.

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